using register_netdev() on Linux) and to convert PCI/USB data to a format understood by the OS. In both cases, whether it's PCI-Ethernet or USB-Ethernet, it's the adapter's job to send/receive the actual frames, and it's driver's job to tell the OS that it will be providing a 'network interface' (e.g. The OS never gets any 'direct' access to the Ethernet cabling. Those, too, have an Ethernet controller chip that receives frames over the wire and sends them over PCI to the driver. It does not emulate anything the way it works isn't actually different from 'normal' PCI Ethernet adapters. The adapter by itself is the 'actual device'. Realtek RTL8153 is another one.Ĭould you explain / show link which explains how the driver 'tells' the computer that the adapter is like the actual device? How does the driver tell the OS to interpret the data over USB as data over Ethernet For example, ASIX AX88179 is a popular controller which works well with Linux. It is an active adapter – it contains a single 'USB to Ethernet' chip which acts as a standard USB device on one end, and as a standard Ethernet controller on the other end it receives Ethernet frames and sends them over USB in a format that the driver will understand, and vice versa.

Insignia usb to ethernet driver